Thoughts and Shots

I Have Lost Track of the World – images and notions making the walk to and from my writing group tonight.

• Four books I think I would like to write before dying:
• Linoleum: An epic novel set against the changing flooring industry in Finland in the 50 years after the war;
• The Spirit Field of Rats: Do They Have an Afterlife and Are They Watching Us?
• Profiles of the Most Prominent Female Veterinarians of 19th Century New England
• Daily Meditations on Dust and Dander
• There is a certain amount of "outsider art" to be found in the Mission -- not that which is intentially outre, but things such as the pig on the carneceria shop on 24th Street or the man inviting us to come get a trim at Willy's Barber shop on 22nd Street
• I take comfort in hearing Mahler on longer walks. I especially enjoy hearing Ich bin der Weit abhanden gekommen (I Have Lost Track of the World) while passing the disco ball hanging in the tree on Lexington between 20th and 21st.
• I take comfort passing the garage where the fatherly Korean mechanic safely stored my bruised car after it was a victim of a terrorist attack last night.
• I take comfort in managing not to watch any of the newscasts about the fifth anniversary of 9/11, though I did read Moby’s plea for W not to visit Manhattan